Macron and Madyar will discuss Ukraine and the EU
French President Emmanuel Macron plans to discuss continued support for Ukraine and the European integration process with Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The talks will take place against the backdrop of the release of a European loan and a new package of sanctions against Russia. The parties will also address the issue of Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
Macron made this statement ahead of his meeting with Magyar at the Élysée Palace, which is expected to be one of the key political events in bilateral relations. The French president emphasized that Ukraine remains one of the main items on the European security policy agenda. “Support for Ukraine will, of course, be at the center of our discussion—following the recent release of a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and the adoption of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia,” Macron said.
He also thanked the Hungarian prime minister for his cooperation and participation in joint European decisions, stressing that Europe must continue to increase pressure on Russia through sanctions and by monitoring efforts to circumvent them. “We must continue to put pressure on the Russian war machine and combat sanctions evasion and the shadow fleet,” the French president stated.
Separately, Macron noted that during the talks, the parties will also discuss Ukraine’s path toward European Union membership, specifically the resumption and acceleration of the formal negotiation process. “We will also discuss the resumption of the normal negotiation process regarding Ukraine’s accession to the EU—in accordance with the principle of merit,” he said.
According to the French leader, these issues will be among the key topics at the upcoming European Council meeting, scheduled for June 18–19, where important decisions regarding further support for Ukraine and European security are expected.
This was reported to Ukrinform by the Élysée Palace.
Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, made high-profile statements regarding the situation of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine and the European Union’s future economic relations with the Russian Federation.
The foreign ministers of Ukraine and Hungary, Andriy Sibiga and Anita Orbán, held their first in-person meeting on May 22. During the talks in Helsingborg, the parties agreed to hold a second round of expert-level consultations next week to further discuss bilateral issues.
Earlier, the Hungarian government commented on the massive attack by Russian drones on Zakarpattia, during which the region’s critical infrastructure was struck. Budapest described the situation in the border region as extremely alarming and announced that it was preparing urgent countermeasures.
